Hanoi's citadels

Ha Noi has the most ancient citadels in the country. Most popular are Co Loa, Thang Long Royal Citadel and Son Tay.
Located in Dong Anh district, 17km from the centre of Hanoi, the Co Loa citadel has seen numerous archaeological digs. Discoveries have shown the continuous development of cultures, from the Bronze, Stone and Iron ages to the height of the Dong Son culture.

Archaeologists say that Co Loa was the most ancient citadel in Vietnam with unique architecture. The citadel was the countryâ€™s former capital under King An Duong Vuong dynasty in the third century BC and the Ngo Quyen era in the 10th century.

The archaeological relics show the techniques used for building ramparts and reveal the military tactics used by the ancient Vietnamese people, who took advantage of the natural terrain to build the meandering citadel.